Uncrewed Vehicles

IAI acquires 50% of BlueBird Aero Systems

24th September 2020

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has agreed to acquire 50% of the equity of UAS developer BlueBird Aero Systems, the company announced on 24 September. In …

Uncrewed Vehicles

Experiment enables soldiers and aircrew to partner with smart machines

24th September 2020

Scientists from the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) have overseen an experiment to see how humans and the new generation of smart machines …

Digital Battlespace

Blighter expands drone detection radar family

24th September 2020

UK-based Blighter Surveillance Systems has launched a new UAS detection radar called A800 3D for air, land and sea surveillance. CEO Angus Hone claimed that …

Land Warfare

JLTV to integrate Kongsberg 30mm RWS

23rd September 2020

Kongsberg Protech Systems USA will provide its XM914 RWS to the USMC for the Marine Air Defense Integrated System. The RWS was ordered by the …

Digital Battlespace

Anzac-class upgrade includes video encoders

22nd September 2020

US-based Delta Digital Video is to supply video encoders to Saab Australia for integration with the CCTV system on Anzac-class frigates operated by the Royal …

Defence Notes

Netherlands defines 2021 spending priorities

18th September 2020

In its latest budget plan the Netherlands MoD is emphasising investment in ‘digitisation and sustainability’, green technology, extra cyber capacity, AI and modern equipment such …

Digital Battlespace

USN to test MS-177A long-range imaging sensor

16th September 2020

Collins Aerospace has been awarded a $19.9 million contract by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), to build and provide a MS-177A long-range multi-spectral imaging …

Digital Battlespace

A-Tech to make prototype C-UAS laser weapon

15th September 2020

A-Tech Corporation (trading as Applied Technology Associates) has been awarded a $17.66 million project agreement by the US Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, to provide …

Digital Battlespace

Tekever starts synthetic aperture radar tests

9th September 2020

Portugal-based Tekever announced on 8 September that has begun operational tests of a ‘nano-sized’ synthetic aperture radar (SAR) on crewed and unmanned aircraft. The SAR …

Uncrewed Vehicles

RAF uses Leonardo C-UAS technology in R&D programme

4th September 2020

Leonardo has delivered the first of four modular ORCUS C-UAS systems to the UK, to support the next stage of an RAF R&D; programme run …

Digital Battlespace

New ISR sensor pod beckons for MQ-9

2nd September 2020

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) and Spanish engineering and technology firm SENER are developing the customisable NATO Pod for carrying sovereign, cross-domain ISR sensors that …

Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

DEF129 Nano UAS [Australia]

Programme Background DEF129 The Australian Ground Service has combined various army procurement efforts under the DEF129 programme to increase the abundance and proliferation of UAVs ...

Military UAS - mini

Aeromobila A Pilotaggio Remoto (Mini) [Italy]

Programme Background Requirement Released on 5 August 2021, the Italian MoD's Multi-Year Defence Programme Document for 2021-2023 announced a programme aimed at acquiring a mini-UAS capable ...

Military UAS - micro

Aeromobila A Pilotaggio Remoto (Micro) [Italy]

Programme Background Requirement Released on 5 August 2021, the Italian MoD's Multi-Year Defence Programme Document for 2021-2023 announced a programme aimed at acquiring a micro-UAS capable ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

RQ-20 Puma (Belgium)

Programme Background Requirement The Belgian MoD outlined plans to procure more mini and tactical UAS in its Strategic Vision for Defence published in 2016. According ...

Military UAS - small

Bug Nano UAS (UK)

Programme Background The British Army previously took delivery of 160 first-generation Black Hornet PD-100 nano UAS in 2013 to support operations in Afghanistan. After these ...

Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

Blue Water Maritime Logistics UAS (BWUAS) [USA]

Programme Background Programme Goal The Blue Water Maritime Logistics UAS (BWUAS) programme stems from the Military Sealift Command and Fleet Forces Command identifying, in 2018, a ...

Military UAS - small

Puma 2 AE (Germany)

Programme Background The Germany navy had an urgent requirement for three UAS required for reconnaissance and identification in maritime operations. A platform was required that ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

Mini UAS [Spain]

Programme Background Fuerza 35 Project This project is a Spanish Army initiative to create and maintain an effective force by forming flexible and cohesive operational ...

Military UAS - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing

General-Purpose UAS [Australia]

Programme Background Banned As reported by Shephard in August 2023, in the past, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) used commercial UAS from companies such as DJI for ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - rotary-wing

Indigenous UAS (South Korea)

Programme Background South Korea's Total UAS Budget The government of South Korea wants to grow its domestic UAS industry. To do this, it was reported in ...

UAS: communication systems

UAS: communication systems | Long Range Reconnaissance (LRR) / Rucksack Portable UAS (RPUAS) [USA]

Under its Rucksack Portable UAS (RPUAS) programme, the US Army plans to procure a Family of Small UAS (FoSUAS) to provide an organic ISR capability ...

UAS: flight control systems

UAS: flight control systems | Long Range Reconnaissance (LRR) / Rucksack Portable UAS (RPUAS) [USA]

Under its Rucksack Portable UAS (RPUAS) programme, the US Army plans to procure a Family of Small UAS (FoSUAS) to provide an organic ISR capability ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

MALE UAV (Finland)

Programme Background Defence Report 2017 The Government's Defence Report 2017 stated that Finland's fighter capability could not be replaced wholesale by UAVs. Therefore, the FDF ...

Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

Anafi [Sweden]

Programme Background Sweden announced on 7 February 2024 that Defence Material Works had procured drones for the Home Guard on behalf of the Armed Forces. ...

Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

New Coastal Ranger Commando Vessels [Norway]

Programme Background Requirements According to Naval News, the Norwegian Coastal Ranger Commando is seeking to acquire an undisclosed number of new fast attack/interceptor craft. The ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

Maveric UAS

The Maveric is a small, lightweight UAS designed to perform covert ISR missions at the tactical level. In order to camouflage the drone, its profile ...

Air: UAV simulators

UAS Academy

IAI has established a UAS Academy for training and certification of operators and technicians. The academy was established to meet a perceived need for skilled ...

Lynx UAS

The Lynx is an sUAS used for large-area precision agriculture and surveying and has an endurance of 3h with the standard mapping payload. Its hand-launched ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

UAS 100

The UAS 100 is an autonomous, three-engined platform, modular UAS manufactured by Thales in partnership with Issoire Aviation, Hionos and with the support of the ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

Heavy UAS

The Heavy UAS, or Cargo Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, is, as its name suggests, a cargo-carrying UAV.  Manufactured by Honeywell Aerospace, the VTOL capable UAV's horizontal flight ...

Counter-UAS systems

MAUI

The Mobile Application for UAS Identification (MAUI) is an acoustic sensor that operates on smartphones using the microphone to detect Group 1 (small, lightweight) UAVs, ...

Freya

An easy-to-use system which requires minimal training, Freya can be operated in difficult situations and weather conditions, including strong winds and mountainous areas. A tracker ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

Blue Water Maritime Logistics UAS

The Blue Water Maritime Logistics UAS is a developmental cargo-carrying platform heavily based on the Skyways commercial available V2.5 Hybrid-Electric UAS.  Following a 2019 industry event, the Naval ...

Hex Mini UAS

The Hex Mini is a hexacopter UAS capable of autonomous operation. Launched in under 10min, the system is constructed of sturdy materials and supports gyrostabilised ...

Air: UAV simulators

UAS Operator Training

To help in the development of training applications for UAS pilots, Presagis offers a suite of integrated COTS software that can be used for the ...

Air: UAV simulators

UAS Mission Trainer

The UAS Mission Trainer combines an open architecture with COTS hardware and simulation software that minimises the use of proprietary designs to provide a platform-agnostic ...

Counter-UAS systems

Cobham C-UAS

Unveiled at the AUVSI 2017 trade show in Dallas, Texas, the Cobham C-UAS primarily consists of wideband omnidirectional, directional helix (single- or dual-band), directional flat ...

Counter-UAS systems

Skylock C-UAS

Skylock, an Avnon Group company, has developed a C-UAS system that is intended to bring sensors, jammers and a laser effector into a single deployable ...

Land: Radio and SATCOM

Small UAS CISR

Cubic's Secure ISR Radio (SCISR) for small unmanned aerial systems is a rugged common data link (CDL) multi-band (L, S, and C) full-duplex transceiver for ...

UAS: Integrated systems - uncrewed

AsteRx-m2 UAS

The AsteRx-m2 UAS is a GNSS receiver designed to be easily integrated into UAS applications to provide centimetre-level RTK positioning. The system’s standard connectors enable ...